The 1860’s was a time of change and innovation. Although the 1860’s can be remembered as a time of violence as the Civil War took place. The Civil War divided a nation and showed the tension that was caused because of slavery.The Civil War would be won by the union, the northern states. However, the 1860’s can be viewed as a time of change where the old worldviews of racism began to vanish. The U.S tried to reconstruct the south politically and socially. Amendments such as the 13th and14th helped end slavery, give citizenship to African-Americans, and claiming that any male over the age of 21 can vote. However literacy test and taxes prevented the African-Americans from not voting(States found ways around this such as literacy test). Racism did not end; many people still continued their race acts and even the Ku Klux Klan emerged causing a spree of future hate crimes. Although racism did not end; the 1860's amendments and reconstruction can be looked as the beginning of change that would slowly progress every year until equality was established a century later.
Besides the Civil War many crucial events occurred during the 1860’s. These events affected technology, society, and politics. The pony express began, giving mail over 200 miles. New American land is organized such as the Idaho territory, Alaska, and Arizona. American art changed as it focused on realism and artist begin to illustrate their view on the Civil War. Technology was advanced well with advancements like the transcontinental act which connected east to west with a railroad. Another major event was Lincoln’s presidency and assassination. Lincoln really sought equality and freed many slaves. After being elected to a second term, Lincoln was killed and was followed by the very unsuccessful presidency of Andrew Johnson, his V.P. These events shaped and gave rise to events that would occur in the late 1860’s and the 1900’s. Racism, hate crimes, and the civil war changed U.S history.
Timeline of 1860s
1860
The pony express starts, delivering mail over 2000 miles from St. Louis to Sacramento in 11 days.
Lincoln is elected president.
1861
Texas joins the confederacy, removing their governor from the office.
Confederate starts a battle in Fort Sumter In Charleston causing the Civil War to begin.
1862
Idaho territory is formed and created
Pacific railroad act builds a transcontinental rail line.
1863
The emancipation Proclamation is issued freeing 3.1 of 4 million slaves.
Battle of Gettysburg takes place
The Arizona territory is formed.
Draft Riots in New York
1864
Abraham Lincoln is elected to second term
1865
The Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, brings an end to the Civil War.
The thirteenth amendment was ratified.
Reconstruction of the south begins.
Lincoln is assassinated, Johnson succeeds him.
1866
General Philip H. Sheridan takes command of U.S. forces in the West, wants to destroy Indians by removing buffalo life.
1867
Nebraska enters the Union.
The United States purchases Alaska from Russia
1868
Congress organizes the Wyoming Territory.
The Senate approves a treaty permitting unrestricted immigration from China.
The fourteenth amendment was ratified
1869
Wyoming becomes the first place in the United States where women have the right to vote.
Individual Topics
The Ku Klux Klan
by Samantha Gomez
The Ku Klux Klan was a group of White Americans whose main goal was to murder any African Americans, or even other Whites, that had anything to do with the politics or education of other African Americans. The Ku Klux Klan was trying to abolish any of the African Americans rights and wanted the White race to have a higher supremacy. The first branch of the Ku Klux Klan was created in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866. The organization, however, was created in Nashville in 1867 by a group of former Confederate Army members. The Ku Klux Klan was ruled by a former member of the Civil War, General Nathan Bedford Forrest. However, General Nathan Bedford Forrest did not agree with the violent ways of the group, such as the fact that the group would use lynching to kill African Americans. The group underwent the loss of supporters after Forrest left the group. Also, the president at the time, Ulysess S. Grant, was given the power to shut down the group through the Ku Klux Klan Act. The Ku Klux Klan was wiped out in the year of 1871. The Pony Expressby Zach Johanson
The Pony Express was founded by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors. The Pony Express was first made up because of the Civil War and the need for faster communication with the West. It was a lightning fast mail service for its time. The Pony Express had more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and around 500 horses.It crossed from the Great Plans, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. The Pony Express only lasted from April 3rd 1860 to October 1861. With the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence.Today there are many different modern versions of of the Pony Express, you have UPS, FedEx, all of these are a modern interpretation of the Pony Express.
The Homestead Act
by Shannon Vingo
The Homestead act was passed in 1862 and signed by Abraham Lincoln. The homestead act allowed any citizen to claim 160 acres of land. Only people who had never taken up arms against there government, could apply for land. This means people who had not plotted against there government or in the overthrowing or downfall of there government. Land was only permitted to free men over 21. After five years if the land had been improved and the original filer for the applicant was still living on the land then the land became his.The homestead act had encouraged migration from the East to the West. So that settlers could escape the restrictive ownership rights of the East. When the Homestead Act was passed in 1862 it was designed so that there would be an easy shift from government land to private land ownership.The government had intended the land to go to settlers trying to colonise and make living. It did not work out this way though. Instead if the settler payed a fee of 1.25 an acre after the first year then he could take the title of the land. This was counterproductive to the original idea the government had, because the settler with this title would sell his land to corporations and larger land owners. So the land had ended up going to private corporations instead of being actual homes for many settlers.The homestead act had allowed the turn over of vast public domain lands into the hands of private land held by settlers. Though if you paid a fee you could get land in a year, this increased revenue for the government. So while increasing revenue it allowed cities and towns to form and grow. If you did not pay the fee and you fixed the land and stayed there for 5 years it helped agriculture and crops, also arose the demand of transportation. This caused railroads to expand into the us.
The Trans Continental by Kyle Hogan
(Type individual paragraph)
The New York City Draft Riotby Clint Penafiel
The New York City Draft Riots was important to developing a better living condition. It was a violent time but had helped create a more orderly way to draft people. Instead of using violence after the draft riots, New York replied with democracy and reform. The Draft Riots had a positive influence on history because it shows how justice should be served to all classes. It was at fault for the lower class because it was a very anti democratic law. The Draft Riots were over the course of four days (July 13 to July 16, 1863). 2,000 people were injured, and 119 were killed. 11 African-Americans were hanged.
The 14th Amendmentby Alphonse Simon
The fourteenth amendment changed the world. It pushed for more equality amongst the people. Specially the amendment allowed African Americans to be apart of the population and obtain citizenship.Also the amendment allowed black to vote, with any attempt to stop their voting rights to be punished by reducing the number of representatives. The amendment also gave power to punish the rebellion against the Union. Proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868 the fourteenth amendment took 757 days to be ratified. The fourteenth amendment made numerous changes and made numerous specifications to the American Constitution that would later change the lives of African American, women, and immigrants. Section two did a number of things. The 3/5ths compromise was voided. Instead African and slaves were counted as one whole person as opposed to 3/5ths.
Music Video
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home". When Johnny Comes Marching Home was written in 1863 by Louis Lambert. The song reflect the people's hope for the war to end and their desire to see their friends and families return safely from battle. In regards to the decade the music video at first showcases the civil war. The people during this era often focused their art on the civil war. This was because the decade beginning was mainly focused on the chaos and dismay caused by the civil war. Then the focus moves on to other events during this decade. Events such as the pony express, literature, popular art forms, Alaskan purchase, the formation of the idaho and arizona territory, ku klux klan,and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The popular art forms include the realism style that was used during the 1860's and the early American photography that began during this decade. The literature in this decade included Alice in Wonderland and Mark Twain's The Celebrated Jumping Frog. This music Video reflects the decade because it illustrates all the major events that occurred in the decade.
Each of the these inventions were important to this decade. The revolving gun's invention was important during this decade because it was first used in the Civl War. This showed the warfare that was occurring during this decade. The invention of the vacuum also showed the inventions that were being made in order to satisfy house hold needs. The light bulb also changed life in America. The light bulb allowed people to receive light without the danger of a calendar. The transcontinental rail line also helped people. This symbolically and physically connected East to West. These inventions reflected the changes in warfare, lifestyle, and transportation. There were many other inventions; such as the list below. All of these invention reflected the decade because it was a decade of progress and change.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the 1860s
The 1860’s was a time of change and innovation. Although the 1860’s can be remembered as a time of violence as the Civil War took place. The Civil War divided a nation and showed the tension that was caused because of slavery.The Civil War would be won by the union, the northern states. However, the 1860’s can be viewed as a time of change where the old worldviews of racism began to vanish. The U.S tried to reconstruct the south politically and socially. Amendments such as the 13th and14th helped end slavery, give citizenship to African-Americans, and claiming that any male over the age of 21 can vote. However literacy test and taxes prevented the African-Americans from not voting(States found ways around this such as literacy test). Racism did not end; many people still continued their race acts and even the Ku Klux Klan emerged causing a spree of future hate crimes. Although racism did not end; the 1860's amendments and reconstruction can be looked as the beginning of change that would slowly progress every year until equality was established a century later.
Besides the Civil War many crucial events occurred during the 1860’s. These events affected technology, society, and politics. The pony express began, giving mail over 200 miles. New American land is organized such as the Idaho territory, Alaska, and Arizona. American art changed as it focused on realism and artist begin to illustrate their view on the Civil War. Technology was advanced well with advancements like the transcontinental act which connected east to west with a railroad. Another major event was Lincoln’s presidency and assassination. Lincoln really sought equality and freed many slaves. After being elected to a second term, Lincoln was killed and was followed by the very unsuccessful presidency of Andrew Johnson, his V.P. These events shaped and gave rise to events that would occur in the late 1860’s and the 1900’s. Racism, hate crimes, and the civil war changed U.S history.
Timeline of 1860s
18601861
1862
1863
1864
1865
- The Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, brings an end to the Civil War.
- The thirteenth amendment was ratified.
- Reconstruction of the south begins.
- Lincoln is assassinated, Johnson succeeds him.
18661867
- Nebraska enters the Union.
- The United States purchases Alaska from Russia
1868- Congress organizes the Wyoming Territory.
- The Senate approves a treaty permitting unrestricted immigration from China.
- The fourteenth amendment was ratified
1869Individual Topics
The Ku Klux Klan
by Samantha GomezThe Ku Klux Klan was a group of White Americans whose main goal was to murder any African Americans, or even other Whites, that had anything to do with the politics or education of other African Americans. The Ku Klux Klan was trying to abolish any of the African Americans rights and wanted the White race to have a higher supremacy. The first branch of the Ku Klux Klan was created in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866. The organization, however, was created in Nashville in 1867 by a group of former Confederate Army members. The Ku Klux Klan was ruled by a former member of the Civil War, General Nathan Bedford Forrest. However, General Nathan Bedford Forrest did not agree with the violent ways of the group, such as the fact that the group would use lynching to kill African Americans. The group underwent the loss of supporters after Forrest left the group. Also, the president at the time, Ulysess S. Grant, was given the power to shut down the group through the Ku Klux Klan Act. The Ku Klux Klan was wiped out in the year of 1871.
The Pony Expressby Zach Johanson
The Pony Express was founded by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors. The Pony Express was first made up because of the Civil War and the need for faster communication with the West. It was a lightning fast mail service for its time. The Pony Express had more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and around 500 horses.It crossed from the Great Plans, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. The Pony Express only lasted from April 3rd 1860 to October 1861. With the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence.Today there are many different modern versions of of the Pony Express, you have UPS, FedEx, all of these are a modern interpretation of the Pony Express.
The Homestead Act
by Shannon Vingo
The Homestead act was passed in 1862 and signed by Abraham Lincoln. The homestead act allowed any citizen to claim 160 acres of land. Only people who had never taken up arms against there government, could apply for land. This means people who had not plotted against there government or in the overthrowing or downfall of there government. Land was only permitted to free men over 21. After five years if the land had been improved and the original filer for the applicant was still living on the land then the land became his.The homestead act had encouraged migration from the East to the West. So that settlers could escape the restrictive ownership rights of the East. When the Homestead Act was passed in 1862 it was designed so that there would be an easy shift from government land to private land ownership.The government had intended the land to go to settlers trying to colonise and make living. It did not work out this way though. Instead if the settler payed a fee of 1.25 an acre after the first year then he could take the title of the land. This was counterproductive to the original idea the government had, because the settler with this title would sell his land to corporations and larger land owners. So the land had ended up going to private corporations instead of being actual homes for many settlers.The homestead act had allowed the turn over of vast public domain lands into the hands of private land held by settlers. Though if you paid a fee you could get land in a year, this increased revenue for the government. So while increasing revenue it allowed cities and towns to form and grow. If you did not pay the fee and you fixed the land and stayed there for 5 years it helped agriculture and crops, also arose the demand of transportation. This caused railroads to expand into the us.
The Trans Continental by Kyle Hogan
(Type individual paragraph)
The New York City Draft Riotby Clint PenafielThe New York City Draft Riots was important to developing a better living condition. It was a violent time but had helped create a more orderly way to draft people. Instead of using violence after the draft riots, New York replied with democracy and reform. The Draft Riots had a positive influence on history because it shows how justice should be served to all classes. It was at fault for the lower class because it was a very anti democratic law. The Draft Riots were over the course of four days (July 13 to July 16, 1863). 2,000 people were injured, and 119 were killed. 11 African-Americans were hanged.
The 14th Amendmentby Alphonse Simon
The fourteenth amendment changed the world. It pushed for more equality amongst the people. Specially the amendment allowed African Americans to be apart of the population and obtain citizenship.Also the amendment allowed black to vote, with any attempt to stop their voting rights to be punished by reducing the number of representatives. The amendment also gave power to punish the rebellion against the Union. Proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868 the fourteenth amendment took 757 days to be ratified. The fourteenth amendment made numerous changes and made numerous specifications to the American Constitution that would later change the lives of African American, women, and immigrants. Section two did a number of things. The 3/5ths compromise was voided. Instead African and slaves were counted as one whole person as opposed to 3/5ths.
Music Video
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home". When Johnny Comes Marching Home was written in 1863 by Louis Lambert. The song reflect the people's hope for the war to end and their desire to see their friends and families return safely from battle. In regards to the decade the music video at first showcases the civil war. The people during this era often focused their art on the civil war. This was because the decade beginning was mainly focused on the chaos and dismay caused by the civil war. Then the focus moves on to other events during this decade. Events such as the pony express, literature, popular art forms, Alaskan purchase, the formation of the idaho and arizona territory, ku klux klan,and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The popular art forms include the realism style that was used during the 1860's and the early American photography that began during this decade. The literature in this decade included Alice in Wonderland and Mark Twain's The Celebrated Jumping Frog. This music Video reflects the decade because it illustrates all the major events that occurred in the decade.
Commercial
Each of the these inventions were important to this decade. The revolving gun's invention was important during this decade because it was first used in the Civl War. This showed the warfare that was occurring during this decade. The invention of the vacuum also showed the inventions that were being made in order to satisfy house hold needs. The light bulb also changed life in America. The light bulb allowed people to receive light without the danger of a calendar. The transcontinental rail line also helped people. This symbolically and physically connected East to West. These inventions reflected the changes in warfare, lifestyle, and transportation. There were many other inventions; such as the list below. All of these invention reflected the decade because it was a decade of progress and change.
Inventions and Technology